Stove-grate.



No. 868,631. PATENTED OCT. 22, 1907.r R. E. ADAMS n C. HOFFMAN. STOVE GRATB.

ArLIoATIoN FILED PEB. 15, 1907.

2 sums-SHEET 1.

A Tmp/VE ys l No.`868,631. 4 PATEN'IED OCT. '22, 1907. R. E. ADAMS & G. HOFFMAN.

STOVE GRATE. APPLIUATION FILED 11:11.15, 1907.

[NVE/vrom A Troie/v5 1/5 rus-Noams PE1-:Rs co., wAsHmcfaN, v. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT E. ADAMS, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, AND CHRIST HOFFMAN, OF FARMINGTON, MINNESOTA.

STOVE-GRATE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oet. 22, 1907.

Application filed February 15, 1907. Serial No. 357,594.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Renner E. ADAMS and CHRIST HOFFMAN, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Fort YWayne and Farmington, in the counties, respectively, of Allen and Dakota and States of Indiana and Minnesota, have invented new and useful Stove-Gratos, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stoves, and more particularly to gratos and lire boxes therefor.

.lhe invention has for one of its objects to improve and simplify the construction of stove gratos of that type in which the grate is vertically adjustable so as to vary the depth of the lire box.

A further object ol' the invention is to combine with an adjustable grate of this character a plurality of grate bars of the rocker type, a suitable mechanism being employed for actuating the grate bars in any position of the grate, so as to shake down the lire.

Another object el' the invention is to improve and simplify the construction of stoves ofthe nature referred to so as to be comparatively easy and inexpensive to construct and keep in repair, and thoroughly reliable and' efficient in luse.

With these objects in view, and others, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, which will be more ully described hereinafter and set forth with particulai-ity in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate certain of the embodiments of the invention, Figure 1 is a section of the stove taken longitudinally through the rire box thereof. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through one end of the lire box showing portions of the grate in plan. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the grate adjacent one end thereof. Fig. 5 is a similar section adjacent the opposite end of the grate. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the fire bricks lining the rear wall of the fire box. j

Corresponding parts in the several figures are Aindicated throughout hy similar characters of reference.

Referring to the drawing, A designates the casing of the stove, which maybe of any desired construction and preferably provided with an opening 1 extending the full length oi the I ire box 2 through which the pieces of wood are fed to the fire box when fuel of this character is employed, a hood 3 provided with a door 4 being ar ranged at the said opening for closing the latter.

Arranged within the casing A is an iron rectangular frame 5 on which the fire bricks are supported. The ire box 2 is lined on its front side with bricks 6 and on its rear side by lire bricks 7. These bricks are of any suitable form and a re preferably provided with grooves extending lengthwise along their bottoms, as indicated at 8, Fig. 2, to receive the upwardly extending tongue 9 on the fire brick -supporting frame 5. The meeting edges of adjacent fire bricks are shaped to form interlocking joints 10 and 11, Fig. 3, so that the fire bricks are held in place one by another. The ends of the lire box are lined with separate fire bricks l2 which engage between the end, front and rear fire bricks 6 and 7, thereby preventing the latter from falling inwardly into the lire box. The end re bricks 12 are each provided with a horizontal groove 13 on its bottom for engaging the upwardly extending tongue 14 on the frame 5. These tongue and groove connections prevent the end fire bricks from moving inwardly at their lower ends, while the upper ends are held in place by bolts 15, or other equivalent means. The end fire bricks 12 thus serve as locking means for retaining the other fire bricks in place. The lire space thus formed by the bricks has vertically extending walls, and it is of extreme impor tance that the fire bricks be kept in place se that the adjustable grate frame can move vertically therein without the said walls of the [ire space interferingby the tire bricks changing their initial position. The upper ends of the rear fire bricks are formed with rearwardly eX- tending lips 16 that project a slight distance into the smoke passage 17 of the stove, as best shown in Fig. 2.

The grate of the stove comprises a grate rame 18 that is a rectangular casting following the general shape of the fire box and of skeleton form, so as to receive within the same the grate bars 19 that have journals 20 at their ends bearing in the ends of the frame 18. These grate bars may be of any approved construction, and any desired number may be employed. The bearings 21 for the journals 20 are formed partly in the end plates 22 of the frame 18, as shown inFigs. 4 and 5, and partly in the lugs 23 on the bearing caps 24, the said lugs entering recesses 25 in the end plates 23. The bearing cap 24 shown in Fig. 4 is held in place at one end by the hook 26 engaging in the opening 27 in the frame 18 and at the opposite end by the screw bolt 28. The cap plate 24, shown in Fig. 5, and at the right hand of Fig. 1, is secured to the end plate 29 by the pin 30, the said cap 24 being thus removable from the ends of the frame 18, so that the grate bars can be readily taken out when desired. The plate 22 at the left hand end of the re Abox is chambered, as shown in Figs. 17 3 and 4, as is also the bearing cap 24 on the said plate 22, so as to form a housing 31 for the intermeshing gears 32 and 33 on the journals of the grate bars, and also for the operating pinion 34 of the shaking mechanism.

The mechanism for vertically adjusting the grate of the stove comprises a shaft 35 provided with right and left hand screw threads 36 and 37 with which engage the nuts 38 that are connected with the ends of the grate frame 18 by the U-shaped arms or wire structures 39. These arms 39 are each hingedly connected at the middle to its respective nut 38, and the upper ends are bent outwardly to form pivots 40 that engage in openings 4l in the grate frame 18. One end of the shaft 35 extends outside the casing A of the stove and is squared to receive an operating crank. By turning the shaft 35 in one direction, the nuts 39 are moved apart so that the U-shaped structures 39 are shifted toward a vertical position to the end that the grate is moved upwardly so that the fire box ismade more shallow. By turningr4 the shaft 35 in the opposite direction, the nuts 38 are moved inwardly, so that the grate will be lowered and the depth of the fire box increased.

ln ordei to rock the grate bars for the purpose of shaking down the re, the following device is employed. A short shaft 42 is journaled in the opening 43 of the casing, and this shaft is connected by the rod 44 with the short shaft 45 journaled in the frame 18 and carrying the pinion 34, as best shown in Fig. l. The short shafts 43 and 45 are each provided with a socket into which the ends of the rod 44 extend. This rod is connected with the said shafts by means oi' pins 46 extending across the sockets 47 and through longitudinal slots 48 in the rod 44. By this means, the rod 44 is flexibly connected at its ends with the shafts 43 and 45 so that the grate can be moved vertically without the actuating rod interfering. The shaft 43 is squared at its outer end so that the same operating crank used for turning the shaft 35 of the grate elevating mechanism may be employed to rock the shaft 43 of the grate bar shaking mechanism. By turning the short shaft 43 back and forth, the grate bars 19 are rocked through the rods 44, shaft 45, pinion 34, and gears 33 and 32, so that the ashes in the fire box can be readily shaken out or dumped.

From the foregoing it will be noted that by the use of this grate, a great saving of fuel will result therefrom, as when a slight fire only is needed and no cooking to be done, the grate can b e raised, making a shallow nre, while on the contrary when a great heat is demanded, the grate will be lowered and an intense fire will result therefrom. It is, also, to be noted that to whatever position the grate may be moved, it will remain in such position without other support than the screw shaft.

The above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing clearly illustrate the advantages of the construction, and the method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while We have de scribed the principle of operation, together with the apparatus which we consider to be the best embodiment thereof, we desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative, and that various changes may be made, when desired, as are Within the scope of the claims.

W hat is claimed is l. In a stove, the combination of a fire box, a grate frame therein carrying rocking bars, a mechanism for raising and lowering the grate frame, and means for rockingI the grate bars at any elevation, said means comprising a flexibly connected rotatable element movable with the grate, and a rotatable device for operating the said element.

2. In a stove, the combination of a fire box, a grate frame vertically movable therein rocking grate 'bars pivotally carried by said frame, an oppositely threaded screw supported in xed position, nuts movable along the screw, LT-shaped arms hingedly connected with the nuts and grate frame, and. means for rocking said grate bars adapted to lengthen and slierten as the grate frame is raised or lowered.

5l. In a stove, the combination of a fire box, a grate frame mounted therein, means for raising and lowering the grate frame, movable grate bars mounted on the frame and movable therewith, a motion transmitting device on the frame for actuating the grate bars, a rocking, crank shaft, and a rod flexibly connected with the crank shaft and adapted to operate the motion transmitting device, at any elevation of the grate frame.

4. In a stove, the combination of a re box, a vertically movable grate frame mounted therein, rockinggrate bars on the frame, gearing, on the frame causing, the grate hars to rock simultaneously, a pinion meshing with one member of the gearing, a rocking crank shaft, a rod flexibly conneeted with the crank shaft and said pinion, and a mechanism for raising and lowering the grate frame.

5. In a stove, the combination of a fire box, a grate frame mounted therein for-vertical adjustment, bearings on the frame, rockinggrate bars having journals mounted in the said bearings, meshing gears on the journals of the grate bars, a short socketed shaft on the grate frame, a pinion on the shaft meshing with one of the gears, a socketed rock shaft, a rod extending at its ends into the sockets of the said shafts, and slot and pin connection between each shaft and rod.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses..

ROBERT E. ADAMS. CHRIST HOFFMAN. Witnesses for Robert E. Adams:

Lnwis R. Lnasxn, CHARLES Bn'rZoLD. Witnesses for `Christ Hoffman M. W. NIEDnnKoRN, E. .T CHAPEL. 

